Tree Moving Device

ABSTRACT

A tree moving device is provided that includes a plurality of points for interconnecting to a basket that contains the root structure of a tree. The tree moving device includes a plurality of arms that provide locations for hooks that are interconnected to chains that receive the basket. Thus a system is provided that provides 360° support of a root ball of the tree. It is envisioned that the tree moving device be lightweight, thereby facilitating transportation and reducing manpower required to transport and plant the tree.

This application claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/972,138, filed Sep. 13, 2007, the entiredisclosure of which being incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally related to a tree transportationdevice that is selectively interconnected to a fork lift or a front endloader. One embodiment of the present invention includes a three-pointinterconnection scheme for lifting and transporting a bundled tree orother item.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Young trees are harvested from a nursery wherein their root structure isbundled with burlap or a plastic sack to maintain any soil therearound.In addition, a basket is often employed around the root ball to provideadditional structure and hard points for lifting the tree. The basketalso reduces damage to the branches, trunk, roots, etc. of the treeduring transportation. Baskets often have a plurality of pick pointsthat allow for individuals or equipment to pick up to a tree. Forexample, the pick points may be interconnected to chains that areassociated with the forks of a forklift or the bucket of a front endloader.

As one skilled in the art will appreciate, however, when a fork lift isprimarily used to move a tree without additional supporting apparatus,the tree will sway or tilt such that branches and/or the trunk of thetree will impinge upon the forks of the forklift, for example, whichdamages the tree. This instability can be attributed to uneven loaddistribution of the tree with respect to the device transporting thetree wherein the center of gravity of the tree may cause the tree toswing in an unsafe manner. To address this instability, it is oftencommon to supplement the lifting apparatus. For example, individuals maybe employed to lift and/or stabilize a tree in transport. Although thistransportation scheme may lessen the amount of potential damage causedto the tree, one skilled in the art will appreciate that transportinglarge and uneven loads may cause injury to those individuals that areaiding in the transport.

Thus it is a long felt need in the field of tree planting andlandscaping to provide a system for easily removing a tree or other itemand transporting it to another location. The following disclosuredescribes an improved method of moving a tree that reduces the manpowerrequired and increases the stability provided to the tree duringtransport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one aspect of the present invention to provide a device fortransporting a tree. One embodiment of the present invention includes aplurality of arms that are interconnected to a cross tube. The crosstube also provides location for interconnection of a plurality of tubesthat receive forks of a forklift, for example. A plurality of attachmentlocations are also employed on the arms and/or cross tube for theinterconnection to pick points included on a basket that is used tobundle the root structure of a tree. This lifting scheme provides loadbalancing wherein the transported tree is protected from damage.Embodiments of the present invention include chains that are used tointerconnect the basket to the tree moving device. One skilled in theart will appreciate that cables may be used instead of chains. Inaddition, the cables may be interconnected to winches or pulleys thatare associated with the tree moving assembly that allow for selectiveadjustment of cable length to accommodate odd shaped trees or items thathave an eccentric center of gravity. Although as shown below, threeattachment locations are provided by embodiments of the tree movingdevice. One skilled in the art will appreciate that more attachmentlocations may be provided which may also be selectively adjustable,thereby providing a robust system of picking up a tree or other item.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a treemoving device that is adjustable. For example, it is contemplated thatthe arms and tubes may be rotatably or slidingly interconnected to thecross tube to provide selective width or angular adjustments toaccommodate objects of various sizes.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a tree movingdevice that is adapted to transport other items. More specifically,although a tree moving device is disclosed herein, one skilled in theart will appreciate that other items such as signs, stones, fountains,yard ornaments, statues, bushes, etc. are contemplated for transport bythe inventions disclosed herein as well.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a lightweightdevice for transporting trees. More specifically, embodiments of thepresent invention weigh about 69 lbs. Thus it is contemplated thatembodiments of the present invention may be easily transported within apick-up truck, for example. Furthermore, it is envisioned that the treemoving device may be used by a single individual wherein the individualtowing a trailer with a small forklift or Bobcat® would travel to aworksite, remove the lightweight tree moving device from his or hertruck and use it with the forklift or Bobcat® to transport a tree. Thusthe manpower needed to remove, transport, and plant trees isdramatically reduced by the invention described herein, which reducescost and time.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a treemoving device that may be disassembled into its component pieces,thereby facilitating transportation of the tree moving device. That is,embodiments of the present invention, which will be outlined in moredetail below, are preferably welded. One skilled in the art, however,will appreciate that the tree moving device may employ component partsthat are interconnected via bolts or other mechanisms which wouldfurther facilitate its transportation. In addition, a plurality ofhandles may be integrated onto the tree moving device. One skilled inthe art will appreciate that the tree moving device may also be madefoldable such that its external envelope may be selectively reduced tofacilitate transportation as well.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a tree movingdevice that includes a plurality of wheels that facilitatestransportation. The wheels may be adjustable (i.e. fold out of the wayduring normal operations) or be detachable. Further, a related aspect ofembodiments of the present invention is to provide jacks or otherlifting devices that allow for selective height adjustment of the treemoving device.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a tree movingdevice that is constructed from common materials. More specifically,embodiments of the present invention are constructed entirely, or atleast partially, of aluminum, carbon steel, steel, composite materials,wood, plastic, iron, etc. The tree moving device may be painted orcoated with materials to make them more aesthetically pleasing, indicatethe source of manufacture (John Deere® green, for example), to reducecorrosion and/or to enhance safety.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a treemoving device that includes at least one reflector or light forlow-light operations. More specifically, one skilled in the art willappreciate that the tree moving device may include lights that areinterconnected to the power system of the fork lift (or to an internalbattery of the device, for example), thereby providing power thereto.The lights would facilitate transportation or location of a tree duringlow-light times and would enhance safety.

The Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it beconstrued as being representative of the full extent and scope of thepresent invention. The present invention is set forth in various levelsof detail in the Summary of the Invention as well as in the attacheddrawings and the Detailed Description of the Invention and no limitationas to the scope of the present invention is intended by either theinclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summaryof the Invention. Additional aspects of the present invention willbecome more readily apparent from the Detail Description, particularlywhen taken together with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the general description of the invention given above andthe detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explainthe principles of these inventions.

FIG. 1 is a top rear perspective view of a tree moving device of oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the tree moving deviceweldment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front bottom perspective view of the tree moving deviceshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right elevation view of the tree moving device shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tree moving device interconnected toa fork lift; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the tree moving device interconnected toa front end loader.

To assist in the understanding of the present invention the followinglist of components and associated numbering found in the drawings isprovided herein:

# Component  2 Tree moving device  6 Tree 10 Cross tube 14R Right liftarm tube 14L Left lift arm tube 22 Fork tube 26 Fork 30 Fork lift 34AEye hook 34B Clevis hook 38 Chain 42 Basket 46 Cross plate 50 Threadedstud 54 Wing nut 58 Upper surface 62 Bucket 66 Front end loader 70RRight outer end 70L Left outer end 74 Inner surface 78 Aperture 82L Leftinner end 82R Right inner end 86 Pick point

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.In certain instances, details that are not necessary for anunderstanding of the invention or that render other details difficult toperceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, thatthe invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodimentsillustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1-8, a tree moving device 2 that facilitates thetransportation of trees 6 or other items is shown. More specifically,embodiments of the present invention include a cross tube 10 thatprovides a location for the interconnection of a left lift arm tube 14Land a right lift arm tube 14R. The cross tube 10 is also interconnectedto at least one fork tube 22 that is designed to receive the forks 26 ofa forklift 30, for example. The tree moving device 2 of one embodimentof the present invention preferably includes a plurality of weldedcomponents. As briefly mentioned above, these components may bealternatively interconnected by other methods such as bolts, clamps,adhesives, etc. The left lift arm tube 14L and the right lift arm tube14R include a plurality of lifting points such as hooks 34 and chains 38that are adapted for interconnection to a basket 42 of a tree 6. Thehooks 34 that are interconnected to the arm tubes 14 and/or cross tube10 via welding or by devises (not shown). For example, eyehooks 34A orclevis hooks 34B are preferably employed for interconnection to thebasket 42 of a tree 6.

The left lift arm tube 14L and the right lift arm tube 14R preferablyinclude an arcuate portion to generally provide 360° support of the tree6. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the arm tubesmay be straight. Inner ends 82 of the arm tubes 14 are preferably offsetfrom the cross tube 10. The inner ends 82 may also be interconnected bya cross plate 46 to provide enhanced structural stability thereto. Athreaded stud 50 that interconnects to a nut 54 or other device, such asa knob, may be incorporated into this end 82 of arm tubes 14 as well,which will be described in further detail below.

The cross tube 10 also provides a location for the interconnection of atleast one fork tube 22 that are designed to primarily receive the forks26 of a forklift 30. Alternatively, an upper surface 58 of the fork tube22 may be positioned beneath a bucket 62 of a front end loader 66wherein the inner ends 82 are positioned within the bucket 62. One ofskill in the art will appreciate that alternatively the fork tube 22 maybe positioned beneath the cross tube 10 and the arm tubes 14 may bepositioned above the cross tube 10 wherein the fork tube 22 would bepositioned within the bucket 62. As the bucket 62 is raised and lowered,the tree moving device 2 is moved up and down, which will be apparentwith the review of FIG. 8 presented herein. In order to facilitate theinterconnection between the tree moving device 2 and the bucket 62, thethreaded stud 50 is transitioned downwardly so that it abuts the innersurface of the bucket 74. The nut 54 would then be tightened onto thecross plate 46, thereby providing the necessary force needed to ensurethat the tree moving device 2 does not move off the bucket 62. Althoughone threaded stud 50 is shown in the figures, one skilled in the artwill appreciate that the right lift arm tube 14R may also include thesame type of interconnection mechanism. It is also contemplated that thebucket 62 may include an aperture 78, either threaded or non-threaded,for interconnection to the interconnecting mechanism 50 that securelyfastens the tree moving device 2 to the bucket 62.

Referring now to FIG. 7, one embodiment of the present invention is usedin conjunction with a fork lift 30 wherein the forks 26 of the fork lift30 are inserted within the fork tubes 22 of the tree moving device 2.This configuration, since it provides the most stability and desiredorientation of the tree moving device 2, is a preferred method of usingembodiments of the present invention. When the tree 6 is placed betweenthe left lift arm tube 14L and the right lift arm tube 14R, theplurality of chains 38 will be located approximately 120 degrees aboutthe perimeter of the root structure, thereby providing even loaddistribution as the tree 6 is lifted and moved. As discussed above, thechains 38 may be selectively adjustable or cables may be used toincrease the robustness of the device. One skilled in the art willappreciate also that the fork tubes 14 may be selectively movable ortelescopingly extendable and retractable with respect to the cross tube.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in another method of using the tree movingdevice 2, the lower surface of the bucket 62 is positioned between theleft lift arm tube 14L and the right lift arm tube 14R and the forktubes 22. As the bucket 62 is lifted and lowered, an outer end 70L ofthe left lift arm tube 14L and an outer end 70R are accordingly moved upand down. In order to ensure that the tree moving device 2 does notslide along the length of the bucket 62 or fall off the bucket 62, thethreaded stud 50 is tightened onto the bucket 62 and the nut 54 is usedto maintain the threaded stud 50 onto the cross plate 46. Again, as inthe first way of using the tree moving device 2, when the tree movingdevice 2 is placed adjacent to the tree 6, pick points 86 are positionedat about 120 degrees relative to each other to provide a stable liftingplatform.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedin detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of thoseembodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to beexpressly understood that such modifications and alterations are withinthe scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in thefollowing claims.

1. A device for transporting a tree or shrub, comprising; a cross tube;a left lift arm tube interconnected to said cross tube; a right lift armtube interconnected to said cross tube; a left fork tube interconnectedto said cross tube that extends away from said left lift arm tube, saidleft fork tube being adapted to engage a portion of at least one of afork lift and a front end loader; a right fork tube interconnected tosaid cross tube that extends away from said right lift arm tube, saidright fork tube being adapted to engage a portion of at least one of afork lift and a front end loader; a first hook interconnected to saidleft lift arm tube; a second hook interconnected to said right lift armtube; a third hook interconnected to said cross tube; and wherein saidfirst hook, said second hook and said third hook are adapted to receivechains that interconnect to a basket that contains a bundle of roots ofthe tree.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said left lift arm and saidright lift arm each include an arcuate portion.
 3. The device of claim1, further including a cross plate that interconnects said left lift armto said right lift arm.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said crossplate includes an aperture that is adapted to receive a threaded member.5. The device of claim 1, wherein said left lift arm and said right liftarm are rotatably interconnected to said cross tube.
 6. The device ofclaim 1, wherein said left lift arm, said right lift arm, said crosstube, said left fork tube and said right fork tube are interconnected toeach other by way of at least one of a weld or a fastening member. 7.The device of claim 1, wherein said left fork tube and said right forktube are slidingly interconnected to said cross tube.
 8. The device ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one of a reflector and a lightassociated therewith.
 9. The device of claim 1, further comprising ahandle interconnected to at least one of said left lift arm, said rightlift arm, said cross tube, said left fork tube and said right fork tube.10. A device for transporting a tree or a bush, comprising; a crossmember; a first lifting member interconnected to said cross member; asecond lifting member interconnected to said cross member; a left forkreceiving member interconnected to said cross member that extends awayfrom said first lifting member; a right fork receiving memberinterconnected to said cross member that extends away from said secondlifting member; a first means for attachment interconnected to saidfirst lifting member; a second means for attachment interconnected tosaid second lifting member; and a third means for attachmentinterconnected to said cross member.
 11. The device of claim 10, whereinsaid first lifting member and said second lifting member are non-linear.12. The device of claim 10, further including a cross member thatinterconnects said first lifting member to said second lifting member.13. The device of claim 12, wherein said cross member includes anaperture that is adapted to receive a threaded member.
 14. The device ofclaim 10, wherein said first lifting member and said second liftingmember are operably interconnected to said cross member.
 15. The deviceof claim 10, wherein said first lifting member, said second liftingmember, said cross member, said left fork receiving member and saidright fork receiving member are interconnected to each other by way ofat least one of a weld or a fastening member.
 16. The device of claim10, wherein said left receiving member and said right fork receivingmember are operably interconnected to said cross member.
 17. The deviceof claim 10, further comprising at least one of a reflector and a lightassociated therewith.
 18. The device of claim 10, further comprising ahandle interconnected to at least one of said first lifting member, saidsecond lifting member, said cross member, said left fork receivingmember and said right fork receiving member.